WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET HURT AT WORK?
1. Tell your employer about your injury as soon as possible. You must notify your employer within 45 days of your injury (or last exposure) to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. 2. Seek treatment for your work-related injury or illness. Above all else, focus on your health and recovery. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, injured workers are allowed to see two doctors of their own choosing. 3. Contact and meet with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer. Navigating your workers’ compensation claim can be stressful. That’s why we recommend that you contact and meet with a workers’ compensation lawyer next. There are strict rules and procedures you must follow in order to receive the benefits you deserve. On top of that, your employer’s insurance carrier may not give you enough benefits to cover your medical bills or your time off work.
Over a hundred years ago, the Illinois government provided a safety net for injured workers through the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (IWCA). Under the act, you can receive benefits for your time off, medical bills, and a lump sum settlement at the end of your case. Sometimes, another company or person besides your employer or coworker may have contributed to your work injury. In this situation, you may pursue a civil lawsuit for damages against these parties on top of receiving workers’ compensation benefits. We’re often asked, “What should I do if I am injured on the job?” Here are three steps you should take if you find yourself in this situation:
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our office. We’ll point you in the right direction.
– Pat Anderson
NHTSA RELEASES PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ON 2020 Q1 TRAFFIC DEATHS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation that creates and maintains a tremendous amount of highway safety data for the federal government. Recently the NHTSA released its preliminary first-quarter 2020 traffic crash fatality projections. Americans are driving less, but traffic fatalities have increased. Their early estimate report indicated that there were approximately 70 fewer traffic fatalities in the first quarter of 2020 than in the first quarter of 2019 — which is less than a 1% difference. However, the NHTSA has projected a massive decrease in overall vehicle miles traveled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent stay-at-home orders. Americans drove an estimated 40 billion miles less in the first quarter of this year versus last year — a 5.4% difference. The amount of crash-related fatalities has decreased, but the fatality rate has gone up . While it’s not clear what significance these early estimates have, as a possible factor contributing to increased fatality rates, the NHTSA has cited a higher percentage of speeding and reckless driving on open roads. In Minnesota, one state highway safety official estimated that the state had half the traffic but double the fatalities from an average year.
This NHTSA report also follows their findings from earlier this year that showed a significant decrease in 2019 traffic fatalities when compared against 2018. However, deaths involving commercial trucks saw an increase over that same period. What does this mean? It will be interesting to see how useful data from the pandemic period will be. The fact is that fewer people are on the road, and those who are driving are traveling far fewer miles. Memorial Day is the typical start of the summer holiday driving season. According to some estimates, America’s gas consumption during Memorial Day weekend was down by as much as 30% from the year before.
Highway safety advocates are continually monitoring highway collision and fatality data, particularly those studies involving commercial truck traffic. We are hopeful that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s rollback of several safety regulations (in light of the COVID-19 pandemic) does not negatively impact these crash statistics when they are released this time next year.
– Pat Cummings
2 www.shannonlawgroup.com
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